Processing your own deer

[ESP]

I am looking for input on what equipment you would recomend for a person wanting to start processing their own game.

- Type of Grinder
- Food Saver?
- Any other device that would help the process

Thanks

Eric

[Lefty]

I process all my own deer and I purchased a cabelas pro grinder, think I got it on sale for $99.  I do use a vaccum sealer, although not a super exspensive one.  The only other thing you really need is a sharp knife.  I do also have a pressure canner and nothing is easier or keeps as long as canned deer meat.  It is very simple and the meat turns out great!  We use it in soups or stews, heat it up with pasta to make deer and noddles, or ever just heat the meat in a pan with a little BBQ sauce and break up with a fork for pulled meat sandwiches.
  The only other things I can think of to help process is the time and patience to cut away all the fat and connective tissue.  Your meat will grind easier and taste much better if you do.

[twosheds]

We got our equipment from Cabelas and off ****.
If you have one thing you can splurge on I would recomend a decent grinder. I've owned several cheaper ones and they work, but they are slower.

When we wrap our meat either burger, or steaks, we wrap the meat in suran wrap and then butcher paper. Seems to keep longer.

Another thing I would recomend you doing is mixing your burger with ground pork butt. It adds fat and also helps with the "gamie" taste if you or someone else is worried about that.

I second what Lefty said, you need to try to keep all the connective tissue out of your grinder. Nothing clogs them up faster.

[AWPForester]

I use a Northern TooL grinder.  Beast of a machine for $99.  I use a food saver. Had a cheaper Black and Decker, but when using it traces of blood would sucked get into the sealing area and the sealer wouldn't get hot enought to seal the bag.  I would highly suggest a food saver.  I also have several fillet knives, couple big bowls and pans, and 2 cutting boards.

Cold meat is easier to grind and was nessecary with my previous grinder but the northern never slows down.  However, if you'll put the meat uncovered in the frig so it drains the blood out for about 2 days, remove it, the outer layer will be dry.  Just skin it off, it removes the hair and dirt and your mest will be delicious because the blood will be out of it.  Just make sure it doesn't lay in the blood.  You can use cookie racks or place a towel under the rack below the meat.

Cube it, get the silver skin and fat off, and you got primo grub regardless of steaks, roasts, or burger.  God Bless

[NittanyRider]

I bought a cabela's 1hp grinder a few years ago and really like it a lot.  It was not cheap, but it's already paid for itself in the money I've saved by not going to a processor (my time excluded, of course).  I use the same wrapping technique as twosheds (plastic wrap and butcher paper) and it works great.  I have a non frost-free chest freezer and the meat will last a year (or more) without any freezer burn, etc.  In addition to the grinder, I also bought a 3-pack of food-grade tubs for making burger and sausage, and a huge roll of butcher paper, paper dispenser, tape and tape dispenser.  You don't need all of this stuff (especially to start with), but it sure  helps out.  You may be able to find a butcher in your area that would grind your venison - I did this for a while before I bought my own grinder.  

Good luck!

[John Scifres]

Essential for me:

- Hoist and gambrel

- bone saw for cutting off lower legs

- large meatcutters cutting board

- 3 knives, a skinner, a boner and a wider one for cutting steaks

- large disposable towels for keeping my garage floor clean

- lined trashcan nearby for throwing unwanted stuff in

- gallon ziplocs for burger meat

- plastic on one side butcher paper and masking tape

- electric grinder for burger and sausage

- jerky shooter

I don't use a vacuum packer.  Maybe I'm just lucky but I've never had any meat ruined by freezer burn.  My freezer is empty every deer season so I guess I never keep anything longer than a year.  that might be why.

[KOOK68]

I freeze my meat for a little while. It grinds a lot easier.
Look at your local grocery store for bacon ends. It's the trimmings from slab bacon. I grind it and mix about 2 parts venison, one part bacon. Adds fat and flavor. I make burgers, and even the kids love them.
Careful with seasoning though, because the bacon is salted.

[Monteria]

Get a good, powerful, grinder. They turn out a far superior product. Base neck size on the # of deer you plan to do at a time, and make sure that the motor is plenty powerful enough for that neck size.

If your grinder slows or struggles in any way, meat is getting squished through the worm gear and destroying the protein bonds. The worst thing in the world is mealy venison sausage... You might as well eat crappy hot dogs.

Really, any of the stainless grinders seem to have pretty well balanced motors. Cabelas , LEM, etc are good stuff. I have a cabelas #32 1.5 horse which does 6to8 little Texas deer at a time just fine.

One other thing. Get a stuffer. Trying to stuff with a grinder attachment does the same thing as an underpowered grinder, squishes the meat into mealy mush.

Steve

[Roadkill]

I cut the meat in the size chunks I want and freeze them-as said in suran wrap and then butcher paper.  Take it out of the freezer and decide to grind it or chunk it or cut steaks.  Whole pieces seem to last longer in my freezer.  As I was putting up this month's elk I found a piece from 2008 hiding.  It came out and made a great chili, no freezer burn or dry spots.

Keeping meat clean is key for me.  i use a spray bottle with vinegar to spray down the meat, then i scrub it down with a scrubie before wrapping.

[killinstuff]

A canner is handy also. I don't grind much, maybe 5 or 6 pounds of course ground pure deer from left overs but I get 14 to 18 pints of canned deer after steaks and chops are processed.

Canned deer is really good and worth the effort.

[jjwaldman]

I bought some stainless steel tables this year from a Guy auctioning restaurant equipment.   Simply awesome.

[frassettor]

I would recommend something small for a beginner( now we have a small processing business) . When I started out, I had a 100$ Gander mountian grinder. It worked fine. I would start there. Find someone who is knowledgeable about the cuts, ect, and see if you can spend some time with them . I had the same questions as you did 20+ years ago,luckily I had been "mentored" by a butcher/ sausage maker. If you have any question that I may help you with , give me a PM and I will give u my phone # so we can talk    

[Rob W.]

#1 most important thing is a good wife that helps cut, grind, package and doesn't mind doing it in the kitchen.

My wife and I usually make an evening of it and eat backstrap at the finish.


Rob

[Bryan pinick]

I get everything from these guys.....nice place to get everything shipped at once, at a reasonable price....

 http://www.waltonsinc.com/

[wapitirod]

I use a Cabelas grinder, don't remember the model but it's about 100.00, Foodsaver and I also wrap with butcher paper before vacuum sealing.  Hacksaw and sharp knives and your in business.  I break them down on my kitchen island, from start to freezer is a couple hours.  I do elk the same way except I bring them in a quarter at a time.

[John Scifres]

I forgot one thing...an Accusharp.  Keep those blades sharp and your wrists and forearms will thank you.

[Steve Kendrot]

Meat tightly wrapped with butcher paper will keep a long time and has the added benefit of stacking neatly and staying where you put it in the freezer. I have an upright freezer and getting vacuum packed lumps of frozen meet neatly organized without falling out every time you open the door is a pain. just this week I took out some venison from 2009 and it was delicious. Just a slight amount of freezer burn quickly trimmed off. I've started pre-wrapping with Saran wrap too which seems to cut down on the seepage during defrosting as well as ward off freezer burn even better.

Commercial food lugs were a great addition to my home butchering kit. They are grey and made by Rubbermaid and come with lid.

A stand up sausage stuffer  is worth every penny if you plan to make cases sausage. I used my grinder/stuffer for years and got to the point where I dreaded making sausage. Try a stand up stuffer once and you will never look back.

After watching the YouTube sensation, "How to debone a deer in 8 minutes", I picked up a couple meat hooks. They make handling the meat so much easier and keep your hands cleaner. Worth every penny.

A commercial roll of butcher paper and stand is  nice too.

[Rick Perry]

deer burger ....... 10 lb deer meat , 2 lb beef suet or fat trimmings , 1 lb bacon ....... grind and mix well ......... yumm ........ best deer burger you will ever eat .

For sausage or brats mix deer 50-50 with pork butts

I have a cabelas 1 hp grinder , foodsaver , cabelas 11 lb stuffer.You should have a good boning knife ( like meat cutters use )

I highly recommend learning to make brats and sausage (there are several books available) .LEM company has a pretty good line of premixed spices,but I like to experiment with other recipes as well. LEM also sells grinders and stuffers that I have heard are very good quality ,but I have no personal experience to share .

[Adam S. Daugherty]

unless you have a walk in cooler where you can hang meat at a controlled 36-38 degree temp dont fool with letting meat hang.  anything other than that get skinned and deboned quickly and put in refrigerator to cool.  Buy you a $100 garage fridge, if for nothing else but cooling meat it is an important piece of equipment.  For your burger meat, trim, trim, and trim.  The more white and sinew and fat removed the better the meat will taste.  To retard freezer burn longer wrap all meat in freezer paper, then wrapped with saran wrap then either vaccum seal or good quality freezer bag.   Dont wash any meat to be froze with water, really speeds up freezer burn.  Pack burger flat (stacks in freezer better).

Also, for cuts of meat (backstraps or steaks from hams) dont trim much prior to freezing.  Everything you are trimming off is a layer of freezer burn protection that can be trimmed prior to preparing.  Also dont slice backstraps into slices.  Freeze untrimmed in halfs or whole and slice and trim prior to preparing.  Cold meat will grind better than fresh meat so a day or two in the crisper will make for better experience and easier to work.

Buy you a 2 ft by 3 foot synthetic cutting board.  A stiff bladed fillet knife or thin bladed butchers knife is a good cutting choice.

Take care in the field dressing.  Properly dressed animal should not have any (or very few) hairs cut loose.

After you are done, you will think I cant believe people pay 50 to 75 bucks to have someone else do this.

The $100 electric grinders will work great.  If you can I would get stainless steel guts (they dont tarnish in dishwasher)

[Tracks]

If you are saran wrap challenged like me, try plastic produce bags from the grocery store. You can collect them all year or buy a roll of them that will last a long time. They work just as well as saran wrap, but are a lot quicker to use/less hassle. Simply place your meat in the bag, roll it up to squeeze out the air, and then wrap it with butcher paper.